Seal It With A Smile™ | Teaching | Self Awareness | Education | Emotions | Brain Building | Classroom | Psychology | Emoti

To say that quarantine has been difficult is truly an understatement; the fabric of our society has been stretched out to allow for social distancing, which just like a real fabric, if you were to stretch it out, it would become tense.   And that’s really been the color, the mood, the best way I could describe these last few months; tense. Tension from not knowing, tension from learning more, tension again from NOT knowing, then tension from learning and knowing more and more.  And even during the lull of a peaceful afternoon or a quiet morning, you are not fully released of that tension. It’s always present    My science brain can’t help but think that mother nature is somehow after us; it wants us to stop messing with the climate. Maybe it’s just me, but it feels like the earth is saying; STOP MESSING WITH ME! Which I get! Its understandable! We have been toying with the earth too long, we invade spaces where humans do not normally live, and because we do not focus on preserving and instead we pillage, something is going to give!    Which brings me back to that tension. It’s a new kind of tension and stress. It’s a very unique form of tiredness. And of course it is, because in our lifetimes we have never seen this kind of outbreak and pandemic! We are not used to this! However a challenge is a challenge, and we face them daily. And for those of us who live in “1st world” countries, the idea of comfort is a fallacy    We are not guaranteed safety. We are not guaranteed security, we are not guaranteed comfort.     Amazon, online shopping, door dash, uber… all of these companies want to make us believe that its a guarantee; they create a false sense of security and expectation in the fact that things SHOULD be easier than they are.  Just like in the shows we (used) to watch more regularly, and how the main characters just “naturally” have the stuff they have, and it all seems effortless.  Yet you and I struggle economically, and we know families that are in much worse shape than us, and there are also families that we know are in a much better financial position than us.  But the expectation, the assumption that “well you can get there on your own”, that YOU can achieve YOUR level of comfort and YOUR definition of success that’s within YOUR grasp is an illusion.     My car has been in the shop for 3 weeks now; i've had to uber to work (with my children) for two weeks, in the middle of a pandemic. Fortunately i'm only 5 minutes away, so the rides are short, and we sanitize after. In that time ive meet people from all over the world! Men and women who each have a unique story, some about job loss, some about supporting other family members, others who have lost their own businesses.  During this carless time I’ve used grocery delivery, which is delivered by someone whom I don’t know, used uber eats, which is again delivered by someone I don’t know, and these were all prepared and picked by other people whom I don’t know. And those fruits and vegetables and meat were all produced and picked by people who work in fields and meat processing plants, whom I don’t know, and who statistically speaking are immigrants who work in difficult conditions and are underpaid.    My life, especially my life these past three weeks, has been reliant and has depended upon the work and sweat of others. Without the labor of others, there’s no way I could have facilitated and managed to just get to work and keep my job and put food on my table! Much less do anything outside of that! And now my safety and my health and the health and safety of my children is reliant upon the labor and purposeful intentions of others to wear masks and keep themselves sanitized and healthy!  I need people!    That’s the power we have as educators; that’s the strength of our profession and calling.    We Create Societies    We Transform Lives   We Build Community    You are a neural architect.

Before ever stepping foot into a classroom, I went through what most teachers go through every year; summer professional development. Since this was my first year of teaching, I was shooed into a PD who's goal was to help me become more culturally sensitive. At the time, and as a Latino, I didn't feel this was quite necessary. After the few days of training, I did realize it was quite informative and insightful, and was better for it. The idea that "all kids are equal in my eyes" was broken down, because the reality of my students life was much different. Then came our principals final speech before school started.  There was the usual praise for former and current teachers, well wishes for the upcoming year, targets and data. And then his final words as the session was nearing it's end. He said "And thank you for helping us break poverty cycles". All of a sudden, my brain wrinkled a bit; a new neural pathway formed in my mind. Why? Because at that moment, I did not "have a job"; I had a mission.  But why was my mind so receptive to this idea? For this answer, we need a brief, but vital, history lesson. In the middle of my hiring, I was working towards my goal of home ownership. Me being me, I also came upon some interesting information regarding the FHA: The Federal Housing Administration.  The FHA was created in 1934 and has since processed 40 million mortgages. While this sounds like an amazing accomplishment, between 1934 and the 1960's, the majority of people who benefited from these mortgages were white.  In fact, many of their policies were explicit in their verbiage, openly denying loans for Black American's and mostly anyone of color.  This had two very purposeful and intended effects: 1) It created the racist practice of "Redlining", which was a way for several sections of a city to be segregated, as mortgage backers would not secure loans in certain areas, thus creating "white" communities and separate communities of color. 2) Because of this redlining practice, eventually white people began to leave the inner cities and move into the suburbs, where planned communities were being built, again using this redlining model, separating their neighborhoods from neighborhoods of black people and people of color. This meant that several sections of the inner city became concentrated with people of color where as the exterior regions of major cities started to become predominantly white. Another layer of history which must be included in this discussion is the GI Bill. After World War II, there were few jobs waiting for the millions of American men & women as they were coming back from war. In order to avoid a surge in unemployment, the GI Bill was created to help funnel those veterans into 4 year institutions, so that those returning soldiers would be able to obtain degrees which will propel them into long term prosperity while at the same time not drowning the job market. From an article on history.com: By the time the original GI Bill ended in July 1956, nearly 8 million World War II veterans had received education or training, and 4.3 million home loans worth $33 billion had been handed out. But most black veterans had been left behind. As employment, college attendance and wealth surged for whites, disparities with their black counterparts not only continued, but widened. There was, writes Katznelson, “no greater instrument for widening an already huge racial gap in postwar America than the GI Bill.” Today, a stark wealth gap between black and white Americans persists. The median income for white households in 2017 was $68,145, according to the U.S. Census. For black households, it was $40,258 Combining the racist practices of redlining by the FHA for decades, in combination with the unequal distribution of the GI Bill among the millions of American Veterans, has lead to a stark divide in wealth, achievement, and opportunity. And now let's add to this a third layer: property taxes

On my final exam, I usually have a written letter included in the final test. A little note to sum up the year. This year, for the class of 2020, I decided to not only give the final note, but to also say a few words.  This year was incredibly important, not just to them, but to myself as well. I will always learn more from them, then they will ever learn from me. Below is the letter that I individually hand sign for each of my students. Thank you class of 2020!  

This being teacher appreciation week, I wanted to not only wish all teachers a very HAPPY teacher appreciation week, but I also wanted to send you a message of hope and inspiration, as we are in the middle of our unprecedented time in quarantine, and for many like myself, heading into the last few weeks of the school year Like so many of you, I have had to adjust to this new type of at home learning. While many people call it home learning, or at home learning, or even online learning, I feel that these phrases and descriptions do not totally embrace what this really is: pandemic learning. The entire educational system has been disrupted like never before, and to describe it as anything less than that is truly doing us all a disservice. For some reason in education there is this tendency to minimize the bad and overemphasize the good.  During these times, it does us a disservice, as so many of our teachers and students face dire life threatening circumstances. If its okay with you, let's agree to call this what it really is; pandemic learning. Is that okay? Now that we agree to describe this for what it really is; now what? We transitioned all of our curriculum to our online platforms, we have figured out more or less our zoom capabilities, we have tried and tried again to get our "teaching" practices online and have made assignments tailored to fit our new online mediums. But now what? How do we continue on when kids don't show up? How do we press on when not all of our students are responding to our various cries and pleas for assistance? How do we deal with unexplained death, sudden job loss, and students lack of participation or increased depression? And on the flip side; how do we deal with students who are thriving in this environment? Those students who no longer feel the societal pressures of conformity and are free to be themselves within the walls of their own personal spaces? Students who's anxiety and mental health issues are now expressed less, and who can now truly enjoy their education and learning, and who are possibly doing even better in this new framework? The answer to each of these scenarios, or truly any of the situations that could be conceived underneath this new bell curve, is you.  You are the answer to each of these situations, because YOU are the glue that is holding this all together. Let me explain. As the teacher in the classroom, you are the direct contact between the curriculum and your students. Every assessment, every assignment is done THROUGH you. You are the ambassador of the curriculum and of the lesson as well as representing each of your students and making sure that the lesson connects with the students, and vice versa.  You are on the front lines with respect to learning; the person on the ground that not only watches it happen, but makes it happen as well.  And please do not downplay those teachable moments that were outside of the prescribed curriculum or lesson plan; those are probably the MOST important lessons of all.  Those moments when you went off topic to correct a behavior or went off on a tangent from a student asking a questions; those are moments that turn into experiences.  And those experiences are what makes learning and teaching so valuable, because those experiences are a direct result of you And this is where you matter most When your students used to walk into class, their enthusiasm and their desire to learn was directly connected to their relationship with you; because as the ambassador for the lesson plan and for them, your presence is what flavored each moment, and turned it into an experience. And it was the experience of YOU that made each class what it was. And this doesn't relate or correlate to "good days" and "bad days". Its difficult to quantify "good" and "bad". Because i'm sure on your worst days, the kids might have surprised you and you were able to pull off a really good learning experience. And on your best days,

This is my seventh year of teaching. As I headed into my new teaching career back in 2013 (without any formal teaching experience) I was also in the midst of recovering from a job loss and recovering from a mistake I made in my marriage.  Six years in therapy working on myself, my marriage, my parenting, all of it. What I did have going for me, probably the main reason why I did get a teaching position aside from my BS in chemistry and my minor in psychology, was my 8 years in beekeeping. Not only was I a beekeeper, but I worked in a honeybee laboratory studying honey bees. In addition to that, I had spent the last two years teaching beekeeping classes for a honey company in the Dallas area. My classes were up to 30 students with an age range of 8 - 89. Going into my new teaching career I was focus and committed. Not only was I going to be the best teacher I could be, I had to be the best in order to support my newly pregnant wife at the time as we were expecting our son. I also had to be the best for my almost 200 other children. Surviving the first year of teaching was exhausting; working a full time job, two part time jobs, children, and a new born. But I survived. Then October 2014 came. We had all heard about the Ebola patient being in Dallas, and we had all heard about the nurses. But what none of us in that auditorium that fall afternoon had expected to hear, was that there was a small remote possibility that one of our students family members might have come in close proximity to one of the nurses. The school superintendent that afternoon, in a dry monotone voice, went further to explain the entire school was to under go a top to bottom wipe down that night. He went further on to explain how this was occurring, not out of a necessity, but out of an abundance of caution. The silence back in our teacher conference group was sobering, but not as sobering as the quiet drive home, where my emotions were running high. Here I was, yet again, in another situation where I had failed; I had possibly brought a deadly virus to my home, infecting my family, infecting my new born son.  Right when my life started to gain a positive rhythm, right when my decisions were beginning to make sense, another obstacle in the road totally sabotaging life as I know it. By the time my wife (now ex-wife) arrived home with the children, I had left all my clothes outside and wiped down almost all surfaces. Using every scientific understanding of contamination I could remember and reason, I cleaned my house from top to bottom, and explained to my wife the situation we were facing. Her acceptance was reassuring and that evening continued as normal. That night, after putting my babies to sleep, I did all I could do at that moment; read. I found all the scientific articles I could about the transmission of Ebola and created a powerpoint of the information. I even went into the biology of why hand washing was so effective, and stumbled upon Ignaz Semmelweis, the "savior of mothers".  The doctor who figured out that hand washing between treating mothers in childbirth reduced the mortality rate and increased their survivability! Surprisingly (or not surprisingly) even with his data, no one believed him until decades later after his passing. The next morning I arrived into my classroom armed with all of this information. The prevailing guidance from the top at the time was "keep things as normal as possible".  The presentation stood ready; just in case.  Then my first student walked in the door. "Mr. Campos, Mr. Campos, we're all going to die! You're going to die, I'm going to die, my momma doesn't love me, she dropped me off at school!" Every student after him came into my classroom, repeating the same woes, crying the same cry. That's when I knew the powerpoint presentation had to come out. As I explained the origin of the virus, explained the mechanism of transmission, and went into the history of Mr.

My grandfather was a very big fan of JFK; he was well known and well loved in Latin America (my family is from Mexico) when he became president of the United States. My mother was 12 years old when JFK was assassinated While she doesn't exactly remember the details of the day as it happened, what she does remember is the solemn face on my grandfather as he heard the news. While she might not have understood what was going on, by the expression on her fathers face, she knew something terrible had happened. As educators, and more importantly as the adults, we sometimes overlook or underestimate how our perceptions and our thoughts, language and actions guide and dictate how our students perceive what happens in the classroom. If you are grumpy or have an attitude (because you got a flat tire, because you didn't get your coffee, etc.) and you walk into the classroom with that attitude, it will impact and shape the way your students perceive the lesson you are trying to teach that day. Everything that happens in your classroom happens THROUGH your perspective, through your eyes. Everything that happens in your classroom is filtered THROUGH YOU! While its very easy to blame kids "attitudes" and their 'bad behavior" as something that is outside of our control, your response to that "attitude" and "behavior" is what sets the tone for your classroom.  It is within your power to dictate and set the tone of your classroom. It is within your grasp and to your benefit to create as positive of an environment as possible; otherwise your students will miss the opportunity to see the lessons and teachings you want them to learn because of a negative environment. Promoting a positive learning environment creates a safe space for kids to take risks and try; it allows them the ability to open their eyes and see the world through your perspective. This doesn't just happen; you have to be able to willing to be honest with yourself first.  You have to admit to yourself why you feel good or why you feel bad. Sometimes, that means telling your students "Hey, today, I had a flat tire, and I spilled my coffee, and its not the best day" And this is okay! And its going to be okay! This is CRITICAL to creating a safe classroom environment; because if you are willing to be honest and upfront with your students, they will trust you. And if they see you as someone who is trust worthy, they will trust the lessons that you have to teach them. They will trust you And when you are positive, your kids will be positive And if you are honest, your kids will be honest And if you push yourself to be the best version of yourself you can be So will they Positivity is contagious; everyone, from your students to your coworkers, will feed off of your positive energy And if you feel that anything is possible, then THROUGH YOUR EYES, they will also be able to see, that anything is possible for them It is because of my mothers belief in me (since the day I was born) that I am able to do what I do. And for that, I will always be grateful and thankful to my mother Gracias Mama

On this very special episode I got the opportunity to talk with a former student of mine - Mychael! Not only is Mychael a former student, a recent high school graduate, but he also achieved the very prestigious Eagle with the Boy Scouts! We sit down and discuss a wide variety of topics; everything from whether AP courses truly prepare you for college, to how I got him to make a youtube channel based on his daily dad jokes (which were really good by the way) His thoughts on how schools limit and diminish creativity for their students! The importance of allowing kids the ability to figure things out first hand, through experience! We discuss his theory on how the educational system "codes" students; what that means how how he feels it happens. Why he thinks inspiring teachers to help their students think on their own is important. The importance of teachers being themselves (and the impact that makes upon our kids development) "On a scale of 1 - 10 how influential are teachers in the lives of high school kids" "12" His advice to teachers who feel like they aren't making an impact. "Some kids see their teachers more than their own parents" Yes, kids believe adults, and the reason WHY! Why there are some kids who come to school to AVOID a terrible situation at home! The absolute importance of teachers being themselves and how that impacts their students learning! "Being able to have teachers that are comfortable and, like, confident in expressing who they are, will show students that they can also be confident and comfortable with who they are"   "Some teachers either don't know or are to scared to build that relationship with students, and the easiest way to tackle it is start simply; how was your day?"   "I think that some kids are taught that it's not okay to be happy"   This conversation blew my mind   I can't thank Mychael enough for this truly insightful conversation; I learned so much from this conversation! As one of my former students, not only did he bring incredible value to my classroom, but listening to him and his perspective can give you direct access to what works and what doesn't work for your students!  Thank you so much Mychael!  

Dede Rittman is a 37-year veteran English/ Theater teacher from Pittsburgh, PA, teaching 35 years in the North Allegheny School District, where she also was Varsity Head Boys’ Golf Coach for 33 years, directed the spring musical and talent shows, and contributed to many district initiatives. She was a PA Teacher of the Year semi-finalist in 2011, the year she had to retire when her husband, Scott, was dying from stage four colon cancer. Dede’s book STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM A MASTER TEACHER was published in September 2014 and the book has won 8 awards! Today on the podcast, she shares so many stories about kindness, about how one small gesture can make a HUGE impact on our students, and shares her philosophy and ideas on how to build trust with your students in the classroom! We talk about the BEST thing any child had ever said to her (something that was incredibly moving and powerful), how important it is to have empathy for your kids, and how empathy actually helps you gain trust and build the relationship you have with them! We also dive into the vital words she would say on the first day of school to all of her students, what her greatest joy was in education, and one of the biggest WHY's to building and creating these types of relationships with your students. Below are some of her incredibly wise quotes captured from our talk: We really don't understand how many problems kids put in their backpack everyday from home... its our job as educators to help them to be able to unpack those at least while they are at school, so they can work One person really can make a huge difference Kids talk! When they have something enjoyable, they tell the other teachers. You have to be who you are You get what you give... its about trust You can get kids to do anything if they trust you, and you trust them It always comes back to... how do YOU feel? Well, how do you think THEY feel? I passed up teaching honors english for 35 years... I always kept the kids that really needed me NO ONE IS GOING TO LEARN FROM A TEACHER THEY DON'T LIKE When we are kind to others, kids see that, and it makes them be kind to others This is not brain surgery, this is simple caring about another persons feelings   This was such an awesome interview and I can't wait for you to listen! Dede gives presentations around the globe on both of her books through www.fieldtripzoom.com and www.streamblelearning.com. Dede writes a weekly blog for teacher inspiration at www.bunnyteacher.blogspot.com. GRADY GETS GLASSES, Dede’s children’s book, just came out in hardcover. The book won Best New Children’s Book 2016 from The Authors’ Zone, best second edition in 2018 from the Authors’ Zone, and a Bronze Moonbeam Award for Best Book with Merchandise in October, 2018. Dede has also won three Album of Distinction Awards from Delta Kappa Gamma in 2015 ,2017 and 2018; the prestigious I AM L.E.E. (Living Education Everyday) Award in 2016; and she was inducted into the North Allegheny Sports Hall of Fame in October of 2017. Dede works very hard on promoting her books and speaking engagements. She enjoys continuing teaching grades kindergarten to college through her books! Connect with Dede: dederittman@gmail.com TWITTER- @dederittman LinkedIn -Dede Faltot Rittman Facebook- Dede Faltot Rittman and GRADY GETS GLASSES and STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP Pinterest - Rittman Publishing - Lessons Learned from the Bunny Teacher and Student Teaching Tumblr -The Bunny Teacher Instagram – GRADYGETSGLASSES and dede_rittman Book websites: STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP www.gradygetsglasses.com      

4,000+ DOWNLOADS!!! Thank you so much for your support of the podcast! This week, I hope you enjoy the time off with your loved ones, friends, family, and fur babies! Self care and spending time with those you are close with is VITAL to your success in the classroom! During this week of thanksgiving and gratitude, I would like to offer you a fresh perspective why everyone in education should be thankful and grateful for our roles. At a time when education and educators is under tremendous pressure, I still feel strongly that we should have a sense of gratitude and thanksgiving with regards to our positions! This story will help explain why: During my first year of teaching, I worked very hard at trying not to be "that" teacher; the one who would yell at his/her students all the time. Of course, I did not succeed (I taught sophomore chemistry at this time). However, in this one particular classroom, I worked very hard at not yelling at my students. It was a conscious choice and I stuck with it. One particular day, while feeling especially defeated in the classroom, I couldn't continue my lesson, and the will to yell at the kids was just not in me. It was at that moment when one of my students perked up and said, "no, you need to yell at us." I was shocked. I asked her to repeat herself cause I didn't understand if I heard her right. "That's what teachers do. Teachers yell at us... If I was you, I would have already yelled at all these students already!" Her response was the one thing I fought so hard to avoid! It was a pivotal moment for me because I realized at that moment: I need to be better This opened up a very interesting conversation where my students openly told me I was a pushover and that I needed to be more aggressive! Much to my dismay and shock, because frankly; that's just not my personality! That's just not me! Regardless, the conversation took place, the lesson was not touched on at all, but my class and I had a very in-depth discussion where they openly shared their feelings and experiences about other teachers who have mistreated them, yelled at them, and how they felt that most teachers just don't care about them as people. This prompted me to really dig in my heels with regards to my "assertiveness". My thought at the time was;  if the kids are openly telling me this is what I need to do, maybe a little it more of it wouldn't hurt.  My plan was in motion, I knew what I had to do. Fortunately, I didn't have to be anyone I was not. The next day was a complete success; my students listened to me, they followed my lead and my lessons, there was no struggle to get anyone's attention.  And it continued every day after that. In fact, the discussions began to flow, and they would want to talk about more topics, sometimes related to the lesson, and sometimes not. Regardless, I took the time to answer their questions and sometimes used the question as way to get through a lesson, as if answering the question was a reward for their efforts (it works!) It made me realize why it is so important to be yourself; because kids need authenticity. It's important to be yourself... because kids need authenticity! Kids are going through tremendous growth and need people who are authentic and whom they can model! The more authentic you can be, the more real, the more YOU you can be, means you are someone that they can trust, because your authenticity will shine, whether it is a lesson you are teaching or a discussion you are having, the more authentic you are, the more your students are willing to believe you, and trust you during your lessons and in your classroom. So what does this have to do with being grateful and having a sense of gratitude in the classroom? If you put your whole heart into your classroom and your craft; teaching will help you become a better person Teaching Will Help You Become A Better Person If you truly put your whole heart into your teaching,

!!! FIFTY EPISODES !!!! (THANK YOU SO MUCH) If you haven't heart PART 1 of this two part series I suggest you STOP RIGHT NOW and go back and LISTEN! In part 1 I discuss how Maslow did not intend for his Hierarchy of Needs (HON) to be displayed or showcased as a Pyramid. There is actual evidence that lends itself to believe that it was created by a consulting firm in order to provide a visually appealing way to package his idea! However, if there was to be a visual, the closest visual would most likely be a ladder. Why a ladder? When one is on a ladder, you are on several rungs of the ladder at the same time, which visually represents more accurately the complexity of our needs. i.e. We will go without some basic physiological needs if we can receive or give love.  As a parent or a teacher we know this all to well! What wouldn't a parent give up for their children? But this choice to prioritize a "higher" need above a "lower" need cannot be fully expressed in the Pyramid visual representation! The Pyramid diagram does not lend itself to this type of interpretation, as the Pyramid is well defined, static, and gives the impression that like the steps on a pyramid, one must climb one rung to reach another. This is not true to the spirit of Maslow's teachings, nor it is an accurate representation of the human condition! Human beings are much more complicated than that; and different people prioritize different needs differently. Which is why the ladder visual is much more appealing With this new understanding of how Maslow's HON being represented as a Pyramid is not true to his original ideas, now it is really important to acknowledge the full range of our humanity, and now viewing the HON visually as a ladder is the closest to viewing a true representation of his ideas, one question remains; how? How do we go about reaching the highest need we humans have (according to Maslow) as expressing our truest potential? It boils down to our self awareness In his famous book Emotional Intelligence Daniel Goldman brought to the forefront the idea that our "emotional intelligence" is actually MORE important than our intellectual abilities. In fact, in Daniel Goldman says in his book of self-awareness: Self-awareness—recognizing a feeling as it happens —is the keystone of emotional intelligence. In education right now you hear over and over again how important it is for us to use social-emotional learning (SEL)! Its the buzzword of our current time! And what is Social Emotional Learning? It is the ability to model appropriate emotions in class, it is reflecting empathy back to our students, and it is the ability to create a safe environment for our students to learn and engage in.  However, without the fully developed self-awareness of the teacher in the classroom, it is almost impossible for this type of learning environment to be fostered! If teachers walk into their classrooms, burdened by the weight of their personal and professional responsibilities, carrying with them their own personal issues, and then are expected to put on smiling brave faces for their students, and are expected to create engaging and meaningful experiences, build relationships, and somehow maintain positive professional relationships, and then go BACK to their own personal lives, and manage their own lives with empathy and kindness and a clear mind.... how can they do that, how can WE do that, without knowing who we are in every aspect of that situation? Who are we? Who are you? Who are you when your having trouble with your spouse, when your kids do not listen to you, when your students are ignoring you, when you walk down a hall and pass another teacher? Our world is so distracting; it takes so much away from us. Especially in this social media driven world; it's almost inescapable!  From the moment we wake up, our phones and the world take our attention away from us, then our loved ones,

Maslow's Before Bloom's!  If you have taken even one step into the world of education, you have come across this phrase at least once. It is the quintessential phrase that is posted and talked about whenever educators wish to refer to the more humanistic facets of education. Educators love to use this phrase when talking about the tough kids or when talking about how the unmet needs of a certain section of your students population (if not all of your student population) interferes with the learning that your students all should be capable of achieving. But do we really understand Maslow's true intentions? Did Maslow's really intend for his hierarchy to be represented as a triangle, and does that triangle really help explain what Maslow wanted for us all?  Let's dive into this pinnacle of educational thought and unpack what it really means to Maslow Before Bloom's  The idea behind the phrase Maslow Before Bloom's comes from the Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow was a humanist, in that his work and he believed in the potential of humans and that all humans strive to reach their their potential. This perspective was key in his development of his Hierarchy of Needs, which states that there are several "basic" needs that all humans must meet in order to achieve the next highest level. The most prolific image of this has been the triangle showcasing the most basic needs (food, water, sleep, sex, homeostasis, and excretion, essentially physiological needs) and as you go up the triangle and fulfill these needs, the needs become more uniquely human (safety, love/belonging, esteem) until you reach the peak of self-actualization;  as achieving the fullest use of one's talents and interests.  Being your best self, expressing your fullest potential. While steeped in humanistic potential, in education, the triangle is more readily used to explain the "bad" behavior in kids; namely those who suffer from having their most basic needs not met.  It is almost as if the triangle is sometimes used to oppress kids who's struggle is of no fault of their own (remember, these are kids!) It has also been used as a way to explain WHY some kids are possibly incapable of achieving higher forms of learning, since their basic needs are not being met, the triangle says they cannot ascend higher (or so the generalized idea goes).  What has recently come to light is the idea that perhaps Maslow never intended for his Hierarchy of Needs to be represented as a triangle! In a paper published this year, it was revealed that Maslow did not represent his Hierarchy of Needs as a triangle in any of his publications. In fact, someone else adapted his HON into a triangle, which Maslow went along with and did not dispute (there are a number of theories as to why).  So what's wrong with the triangle concept? The triangle gives the false impression that in order to reach a higher need, one must have their basic needs met, which is not the case.  How many teenagers (yourself in your teenage years included) could skip a meal or go without sleep if it meant spending time with a love interest? The rigidity of the triangle makes it seem like the Hierarchy is unmovable and does not account for the reality that as a human being, we all have different needs that are met at different times, and what is a need for some might not be a need for others. How many adults feel like they cannot function without their morning cup of coffee?  This is a prime example of having a basic need met before one can go about and achieve higher levels of functioning. Then there are some people who are "morning people" and can get up and begin interacting with other humans without the need for coffee.  They have different needs which are met in different ways. I don't need a cup of coffee to get me going (although it REALLY helps) Another issue with the triangle representing the HON is that the triangle is static; meaning the triangle shapes gives the impression that the...

Don't you really love the effort that your students put into the classroom? Don't you really love the effort that your spouse or significant other puts into your relationship? It's an awesome feeling when your love sends you the unsolicited note, or the spontaneous affection. Parents, how much do we love it when our own kids go above what they normal do and clean their rooms without us yelling? We value and love effort. This is true because we when we DON'T put in effort, we notice it and feel it. When you DON'T stick to your diet, when you DON'T get up when you are supposed to, you end up paying for your lack of effort.  Yes, the immediate pay off is immediately gratifying (the extra 3 minutes in bed and the double chocolate donut) but you will pay for that lack of effort down the line, someway, somehow. We need to capture our students effort in our classroom. For some of our students, what they do is effortless. The bell curve is very real and we will always have those students to whom things come "easy" to them. But this does not free you from challenging them! On the contrary, they have different needs that must be met, and effort for them looks differently. On the other side of the bell curve, we need to capture the effort of those who's performance is considered "low" or for those kids who are getting by. So in essence, it is not necessarily effort in general that we need to capture, but we must capture and REWARD effort immediately when it happens. Sometimes just seeing someone put in effort, sometimes just recognizing a students for the effort they are putting in at that moment, is a reward in itself. We NEED to see their effort and we need to pay attention to those efforts. Especially at the beginning of the year! A safe space is created in your classroom when you fully use the power of your self awareness (this is one of the principles of my course The Self Driven Classroom) and when you are looking for effort and recognize it immediately and reward that effort when it happens, you are sending the appropriate feedback to your students by saying: I SEE YOU, I RECOGNIZE YOUR EFFORT, I WILL REWARD YOU FOR IT. When that one student who was quiet for weeks all of a sudden raises his hand, RECOGNIZE THE EFFORT!!! Children, especially children, want instant gratification! More importantly, they want to know that they are doing the right thing, at the moment they are doing it. The feedback you send them when you acknowledge their efforts is critical and essential! A high five, a pat on the back, or a shoulder rub are great ways to recognize their efforts. Even you pointing a finger at them with a smile or a fist bump in the air, can give them the feedback that YOU SEE THEM! The best part about you recognizing effort in your classroom; you are sending feedback to the entire classroom. You are sending the message to all the other students that you recognize effort, you look for it, you value it, and you will reward it. This gets kids very excited and motivated for wanting to put into the class that effort! Soon, kids begin to battle over which one can get the answer first! Some effort is quiet. For some students effort is completing one assignment. For others, its finally putting their name on their paper. For others, effort is showing up to class. Effort is effort is effort. We can be cynical about this, but the most valuable thing we can do for our students is acknowledge effort in all its various forms. For that one student who finally came to class on time; give them the high five, the pat on the back, the shoulder rub, the recognition! Effort is effort is effort. You want to recognize all the various levels of effort in your classroom because those various levels will grow. One day they show up to class on time, the next day they show up with a pencil, and the next time they show up on time with a pencil and complete their work! Effort is rewarded in our society!

Welcome to Self Driven Radio! This is an INCREDIBLE interview with FullBright Scholar, Teacher, Creator, Writer, & Performer Alaina Freeman! Not only is she the Writer & Performer of the one woman play, The MisEducation Of Ms. Freeman which you can check out October 9, 2019 in NYC, but she is a talented individual who has a passion for life that touches everything she does! Her approach to the classroom is one that focuses solely on what's best for her kids (and trust me, they are HER KIDS!) and pushing herself to be the best person she can be; not only for herself, but for those around her. I can't wait for you to listen and to get inspired by this amazing woman! Some of the topics covered: We unpack the year in teaching that changed her life forever and inspired her to create her play We talk about the fear in education (because it exists) The beautiful and amazing lessons that teaching special ed students taught her The Soul Thing that can make any child succeed The constant fight that teachers in the classroom struggle with to keep kids from giving up on themselves The importance of investing herself as an educator The value of being yourself 24/7, in and (ESPECIALLY) out of the classroom Why its so important to push yourself to the "edge"... so you don't get used to the monotony The BIGGEST fear we all have in life... The importance of having a vision which enables you to see opportunity... for yourself and your students... The importance of legacy as a teacher... Some GREAT Quotes And Takeaways From This Interview! The one thing about special ed kids is that they were true to themselves. I really learn a lot from the children that I teach I loved the kids, I just hated teaching Schools are run off of fear... and mediocracy is rewarded Teaching is a lot of your doing it right and your doing it wrong, but its not right or wrong, it's a process His work was perfect for him When I go with my friends who don't work with children... they are a little dull... they forgot the gift of discovery... they take my energy and give my life! They needed this other thing... this soul thing... The kids in my room are creators... they would literally create the day in my room We are so scared going inside of ourselves... We don't want to work... Someone talking in a meeting... is present... You really essentially have all you need... everything else is a blessing... I don't want to feel ok... I want to feel spectacular... or else I would be doing them a disservice... I'm never asking them to do something that I won't do CHECK OUT HER SHOW IN NYC OCTOBER 9, 2019!!  

On this very special episode of the Self Driven Classroom, AMAZING and TALENTED KENDRA SMALLEY joins Self Driven Radio! She is a Love Driven Action Coach with her own practice She is the CEO of the Life Coach Training Institute  She is the founder of Hype Kidz Nation (for inner city youth) She is a friend and a fellow public school educator who works with kids that have severe behavioral issues On this episode we tackle three dynamic topics: What is the GENIUS that every "difficult" student with severe behavioral issues taps into? What do all kids REALLY want? What are the 5 STEPS You need to take To Make YOUR Summer Truly YOURS! FOLLOW THE 5 STEPS! If you are an educator in any capacity, you NEED to follow the 5 steps this summer to refuel and recharge yourself! Self care and self love is VITAL to your personal and professional success! If you do not love yourself and show yourself love, you will not be able to pour that into others!  So make sure you take good care of yourself during your break this summer, and makes sure you follow the 5 STEPS that the Love Driven Action Coach KENDRA SMALLEY shares with us in this DYNAMIC EPISODE! Get your pencil & paper ready & GET THE DOWNLOADABLE CALENDAR BELOW! CLICK THIS LINK NOW FOR CALENDAR      

How to we manifest peace? Amazing interview with Kyle from Yoga With Kyle! Like so many teachers, Kyle is multi-talented: Recording Artist, Author, Certified Yoga Teacher! Kyle she's an amazing person who has found incredible peace through her yoga practice and teaching kids and families yoga! Through her life's journey, she has learned about acceptance, self awareness, and about the potential within each one of us and herself! Great teachers are not always in a school building! I invite you to enjoy this AMAZING interview that goes deep into how loving and taking care of ourselves can help us become better teachers for others. Some amazing take aways and subjects we cover in this interview: “The problem is with that rigidity in the body comes rigidity in the mind” How taking five deep breaths can change your own mindset and those around The importance of listening to children How to become more present? “Yoga is a gentle discipline… life long… “ “Always be a student to yourself” “Being your best and be your best advocate is your first step”   Why are we so afraid of being us? Appreciating the intelligence of understanding our emotions   “The mistake we make is to not be in the moment and come from fear… it’s not really fair to the child” “Be selfish in taking care of you” “People don’t know how to reach for help” “Put your own oxygen mask on”   Redefining adulthood   To learn more about Kyle check out the links below: YOGA Twitter: @mykai Instagram: @yogawithkyle Yoga Retreats: https://www.mbsretreat.com Kai Elle (music) Instagram: @musicbykyle_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClNzU6Yu_KXSBL7JVNfc4fw Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/18Ws5KDRHc9RY3fltPbkei Children's Book: The Quiet Clam https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Clam-Kyle-Lardner/dp/0999257374/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+quiet+clam&qid=1557290963&s=books&sr=1-1-catcorr

The 10X business conference is held once a year by Grant Cardone; a real estate investor turned internet star. Attendance was calculated to be 34,000 for the three day event in Miami where famous entrepreneurs and up and coming ones were allowed to share their stories of ups and downs on a massive and impressive 5million dollar stage. It was an amazing event that I am still processing and unpacking. As someone who is starting an online business, I found it highly inspirational and it has helped me focus on how I can best serve YOU; my fellow teachers. The following is my top 5 take aways from the conference that are directly applicable to the classroom. When your in a room full of millionaires and successful people; you want to pay attention and see what can translate into your classroom and into your own personal life as well. These are my top 5 take aways from the event: Our world is changing faster than we realize technology, youtube, access to information is easier Failure is a necessary step towards success failure story after failure story Execution is everything if you are not executing on your ideas, your not going anywhere Relationships and connections are more important than ever before in a world where everyone is trying to get your attention, relationships and connections are becoming more and more valuable Mentors, mentorship, and modeling successful behavior is critical to the success of all of us be a mentor to your students, and look for mentors for yourself

I have a very important message that I need to you to understand. One that is echoed in a very impassioned quote from Martin Luther King Jr. Its something that I have held onto since the first time I stepped into my classroom; something I must remind myself from time to time. And when you hear this ONE thing, I want you to envision this idea as an integral part of the way you approach your classroom. In fact, ANYTHING I talk about in this podcast or anywhere in the Seal It With A Smile universe, is content that is designed for you to digest and USE in your classroom. Not because I think it's a good idea; but because it works! All of my students, both in the classroom and those that have gone through my online course, The Self Driven Classroom: The Queen Bee, use the methodologies, ideas, strategies and mentality that I speak about in these podcasts... not because they are "nice" or "ideal"; but because they WORK! The ONE thing I want you to walk away from with this podcast: We are all in this together Here is the quote from Martin Luther King Jr. We must all learn to live together as brothers or we will all perish together as fools.  We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.  And whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.  For some strange reason I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be.  This is the way God’s universe is made; this is the way it is structured.   "Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution" Commencement Address for Oberlin College By Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr June 1965, Oberlin Ohio   Growing up as a child in the 1980's, I saw movies and media that told me teachers were "other". They were boring, know it all people who didn't care about me or my well being. I was taught by teachers that were like this; but I was also privileged to be around teachers who actually cared about me, who looked after me, and who took the time and the energy to guide me in the right directions. They saw in me something and encouraged me to move forward. I bring those thoughts into my classroom daily. You need your kids. Your kids need you. I am constantly surprised by anyone who calls themselves an "educator" who easily casts our a child. Who uses their fear to predict the outcome of any child, no matter the age or their situation. Great stories start with conflict. And you and your students are in it together. In fact, YOU put obstacles in their path, that you expect them to overcome, in a small amount of time, sometimes on their own. You call it teaching. You PURPOSEFULLY present NEW information to them, which causes anxiety, panic, stress, and cognitive dissonance; a gaping chasm in their psychology. Then you FILL that chasm with understanding... your students work it out, get to a point of understanding... then you hit them AGAIN! Its kinda like you digging a hole for them, telling them they need to jump into the hole, then you jumping out of that hole, and showing them how they can get out... and once most of them are out of the hole... you do it AGAIN! If you are a great teacher; you are in the hole with them, working with them one on one, and getting as dirty as they are. Ineffective teachers; post "how to dig out of the hole" pictures on the board, and then complain when they aren't getting out fast enough. You need them. They need you. No matter what grade level they are in, these kids will eventually participate in our society. They will eventually pay taxes, work, have children... live life! If you aren't doing everything you can to make sure they are successful, you are only hurting YOURSELF! If you aren't brining your best everyday, or challenging yourself to be better today then you were yesterday... you are doing a disservice to the people around you, your loved ones, and your students.

I have a hard time using the word fail. It’s not my favorite word to use and I am convinced that the way you speak affects the way you think and your actions. Therefore it’s a word that I avoid using in my classroom and in my personal life.  Unfortunately, everyone I know loves to use the word fail. In my classroom my students constantly talk about failing classes, epic fails; fail, fail.  The word itself has taken a life of its own. There’s not a day that goes by in my classroom, where we are either in the middle of an interactive laboratory or are reviewing content, where a student risks embarrassment, goes out on a limb and with nervous anticipation says what they believe is the right answer; only to get it wrong. My natural instinct is to look them straight in the eye, smile, and tell them how that’s a really good answer, and how it was very close to the real answer and please let me explain what the real answer is.  No matter how big my smile can be, no matter how wonderful I can project the tone of my voice, inevitably, somebody says fail. It may not be the word itself; at some point the sense of failure lingers inside the room. I feel that my attempts at combating failure, has failed. I have failed to stop failure from occurring in my classroom. It is without a doubt a blemish in my career and in my heart. As a child, my mother always believed in me. My mother, with her 40-year-old child, continues to tell me how much she believes in me. She is without a doubt one of my biggest supporters.  Whether it was dressing up as Frosty the Snowman in fourth grade trying to remember my steps and lines, or as the president of my HOSA club who forgot to order the pizzas for our Friday school fundraiser (and had to apologize to every single person in our school for not having any pizza), she continues to hold her ground, and continues to believe in me That believe in me has carried me over in some very dark times, both professionally and personally. I value her words more and more each day as they continue to fuel me and inspired me to become a better version of myself today than I was yesterday. Which is why as much as I hate to accept failure, I must accept it.  As much as I despise the word and how it feels when those consonants and vowels come out of my mouth, I must except the fact that we live in a society the points out highlights and emphasizes failure. I must sadly accept the fact, that I failed to remove failure from the language of my classroom. Here’s what I can do... I can fail better You see, there is a sycophantic morose obsession in our society when it comes to failure.  People are almost excited when someone that seems at the top of their game, fails. It's been said that when we hold people up to a pedestal, like the way we hold our heroes, we hold them to a much higher standard than we hold ourselves. And we love to see them fall... It means they were human... After all... The classroom is no different; there is always going to be the "smart kids", “the dumb kids", “the poor kids", “the rich kids", etc... Whatever category you, our students, or anybody else can fit them into, these categories were not designed by children, rather they are absorbed by children because of the adults around them.  Prejudice, stereotypes, and pre-conceived notions of people are all learned by children and taught by adults And if failure is the great equalizer in the classroom; if failure somehow helps wipe the slate clean in the minds of our studnets, helping see everybody in the classroom as equals...   And if failure helps bring down those who we feel are above us, as our tabloids filled with scandal seem to point out, then let us try a new approach to failure Let’s fail better Let’s shoot for failure on a different level. Let us embrace failure as being epic; true epic failure. Failure so grand, so magnificent, so wonderful,

What does gratitude mean in education? It starts with something that happened to my during my second year of teaching. If you survived the cut throat, desperation and hopelessness that is the first year of teaching (which is all about survival); then the second year is MAGIC! You are more engaged with who you are, what you are capable of doing, what the hell you are supposed to be doing, and how to best serve your students. Relationships, for me, were something that I wanted to work on. I was comfortable in my classroom, I was comfortable walking the halls of my building and with others in my department. And it's not to say that I had a major issue building relationships with my students, but rather, I knew there was a deeper more meaningful way to build my relationships with my students. Depending on who you talk to, this is not common talk in the teachers lounge. Many teachers are out the door at 3:15pm along WITH the students. Many teachers can't stand kids, and I'm embarrassed to admit that on several occasions, when teachers would talk badly about students, I didn't speak up when I should have. You would be surprised by how many teachers don't like kids, much less helping them, and even less wanting to build meaningful relationships with them. For many, the time we spend in the classroom is more than they bargained for. I wasn't quite sure how to do it, but I knew there was something else I could be doing. Something that involved more than superficial talk. I felt stuck. And then there was Joel. My afternoons usually consisted of sweaty stinky football players and failing students coming after school to make up grades.  My afternoon tutorials were afternoons that smelled of desperation. Having one on one time with any student is fun, especially when I get to dive into molecular shapes, calculating grams per mol, or any other fun chemistry/science themes.  When Joel would come after school (because he needed to make up work, due to his family problems), it was different. Joel and I would sit and talk about the cars his uncle and him were rebuilding and fixing up. After all the stinky kids went off, we would talk about his alcoholic father's issues. About how grateful he felt for his uncle stepping in and playing a fatherly role, and for teaching him about auto body repairs; which he loved. It was great to see his eyes open wide and glisten whenever he talked about popping out doors, or mastering bondo. It was fun for me to just listen to him and to hear him get excited and passionate about doing something he saw himself doing for the rest of his life. His future was very clear to him. One afternoon, Joel waited until the room cleared out to tell me some interesting news; he made $16,000 selling three cars he fixed. And he wanted my opinion as to what he should do with the money. I was floored. Not only because of the fact that he saw me as someone who could counsel him in this regard, but because I understood that my relationship with him and my role was not defined by the title on my contract. I suggested that he open up a Roth IRA. A week later, he thanked me, and told me how the bank manger wanted to shake his hand for making such a wise investment at such a young age. Joel now has two shops and is doing fantastic.   The Friday before my very first day of school teaching, my principal spoke to the entire staff during a very hectic last Friday before the first day. With all of the teachers filling in the cramped cafeteria, legs nervously twitching, and after a monotonous and boring explanation of testing results from the year before, which being a new teacher, made no sense to me, my principal said some words that have haunted me ever since. He thanked all of us for what we do, for what we will do during the school year. And he thanked us for breaking poverty cycles. Whenever you find yourself this year, caught in a difficult situation with a student,

With the holiday season upon us, we finish one thing to only pick up another. We go though everything that we need to in order to finish the year/semester off right, only to pick up all of the responsibilities required to complete during this holiday “break”. In the melee of everything, what we should be focusing on, is rest. We need to rest. You need to rest. I need to rest. I respect you enough to not give you explicit instructions on HOW to rest, or what that rest must entail. Fact is, we all rest in various ways, and it’s up to you to figure out what brings you peace, what refills your empty cup, and what helps keep you in harmony. It is a common misconception from those outside the educational sphere to think that the amount of time we have off more than compensates for our time. They couldn’t be more wrong. We don’t have jobs; we have a calling. A mission. We do NOT exhange time for money; we GIVE time, energy, blood, sweat, tears, emotions, money, etc and we pour it into the lives of others. We GIVE far more than we receive. Which is what high performers do; we share in the spoils of that investment with the rest of society. And more importantly, our return on investment will always be unknown and beyond the walls of our classroom. And it will touch countless lives beyond the souls in our rooms. This is why you need to rest. Rest within yourself. You cannot give from an empty cup; you cannot replenish that which cannot be renewed. Renew yourself, refill your cup during your time off. Practice and model the self care that so many students do not practice, but desperately need. I give you full permission to rest in the knowledge that you do not only deserve this time, you have earned it, and you need it, not only so that you can continue to give to others... Most important of all; because you are you. There’s no one else like you. You are worthy. You are enough. rest.

It took me a few years of teaching in the classroom to discover EXACTLY how to save our educational system. One day, I had an epiphany; an Ah-HA moment that changed my life. Stop making it all about the kids. As a parent, the best thing I can do for my children is to take care of myself and bring the best version of myself to them on a daily basis. Unconditional love and acceptance flow from a person who knows how to love themselves first. That’s not what we bring to our classroom daily. The classroom is filled instead with fearful adults who are afraid of their own students. Nothing can grow properly planted in fear. It’s time to flip education from the inside out. It’s time for a seismic shift in our beliefs as to what is acceptable and what is possible. Its time for our focus to shift toward the adults in the room; teachers. Teachers are the most important person in the classroom; not the students. It’s time to stop treating teachers as teachers. It’s time to acknowledge who they really are and what they really do. Teachers are brain builders; they build the brains of every human being in our society. They, literally, make connections within the minds of children, that shape and form future humans. Teachers are neural architects; they help shape the minds that will inhabit our society. Teachers have an ENORMOUS responsibility and charge. When successful they brain build with love in their hearts; because they have love within themselves. A successful teacher takes care of themselves and brings to the classroom the BEST version of themselves everyday. Successful teachers are Queen Bees Successful teachers MODEL self care, unconditional love, and acceptance. Successful teachers are successful adults; they know they are enough We need Queen Bees That is my mission.

I had an AMAZING interview with Hannah from Syllabiblog In addition to her full time position as a teacher who teachers future teachers on HOW to teach; she maintains her blog and a highly active Instagram Account where she posts about a modern day educators life. This interview is a breath of fresh air, as Hannah openly discusses the personal and professional issues she dealt with as a first year teacher (trust me, its not what you think). She dives into what motivates her to lead others into our profession, and why self care is so important. No matter where you are in your teaching career, this interview is a MUST! There are so many take aways to unpack, I highly encourage you to take a listen! Listed below are some great quotes: "I think a big part of my job is setting an example of what I hope our future teachers should be like" On what are some important things to tell your students... "Tell your kids, Yeah I made a Mistake! Its fine." When it comes to how she started out teaching... she didn't (at first) want to be a teacher! "Oh God No! I didn't want to do that at all, but that's ok!" On her teaching now... "I just sit there and I think, "I get to do this everyday". What a blessing!"   Make sure to follow her on Instagram and keep up with her posts on her website and blog!    

Let me tell you a story about Matthew; Matthew is what you would probably imagine as a "trouble maker"; whatever that person is in your mind, he is that kid. Not only that, Matthew is smart. It has been my experience that for the most part, on average, most of my trouble makers are usually of high intelligence. These are kids rub many people the wrong way for a number of reasons. Most adults would rather not deal with these kids, so they get shuffled along. They are not challenged to be better; they are forced to conform. And for a highly intelligent kid like Matthew; this doesn't make sense.  Why should I have to "pretend" to like going to school, pretend to be interested in any of these subjects, when Matthew already has a plan for the rest of his life; a plan which doesn't involve school.  When other kids are seeing their education as a vehicle that will propel them to the life they hope to have, there are many kids like Matthew who for them, the educational system has been a burden that has been more interested in their hair style, their clothing choices, and shut the door on them when it wasn't their fault they were late.  This is the conversation I had with Matthew which lead to this one question; why should school matter to me, when I never mattered to anyone at school?   He's right.   School doesn't matter to many kids. It's not a valuable institution to them for a number of reasons. We could generalize these kids and go through the blame game; socioeconomic conditions, bad parenting, poverty, culture, drugs, gangs, cell phones, etc. We could also blame them directly; a generation of disrespect, lack of humility, lack of hard work and labor, unapologetic and spoiled rotten. But that doesn't remedy an important point in the argument that Matthew makes; why did he not matter to anyone at school? Why did this child spend 13 years in an educational system, and not once, not ONCE, did he feel he mattered to someone? One of the seven truths that you will learn when you take the Seal It With A Smile course is that the emotional reality of a person IS their reality. When you wake up in a good mood, that good mood lasts. When your in a bad mood, typically that bad mood will ALSO have staying power. If your in a positive feeling, you see opportunity. If you're in a negative feeling, the walls feel like they are falling down over you. And when your a kid; you lack the cognitive functioning and maturity and experience to understand what's going on. And when your a kid, not feeling loved or important or even thought of, has a huge impact. If adults have a hard time dealing with their own emotions, can you imagine how our kids must feel? OR the better question is; do you feel like they are YOUR kids? Everyone needs love. Everyone needs to feel loved. It is part of our development; we are wired to receive it and give it. We are wired to comprehend what that is, and we know when we are sometimes more aware of when we DON'T have it, than when we do. For that reason, Matthew is correct; why should he care when no one cared about him? That is his reality, after 13 years of being in the educational system. No one cared. School doesn't matter to Matthew. But he matters to me. And since we started this year, I have made it of high importance to me that he knows he matters to me. How do I do that? I listen to him. I do not judge him or his opinions or thoughts. I accept him exactly as he is. I follow all of the systems I created in the Seal It With A Smile course, and most important of all; I care enough to do this. The other day Matthew told me he was really trying hard this year; his last year of high school. He's felt more motivated than ever to not skip school, to not fall asleep in class, and to actually do his work. Why? Because he wants to join the military. He sees the benefits of serving and he sees himself being in the Marines for life. Everything about that life excites him,

Before I realized it... I received my 5 year pin working for my school district. I have only taught at this school district; and I have only taught at one school in this school district. Two different subjects and now that I'm starting my 6th year, a little over 1,000 kids. I took a few seconds pause when my name was called; slightly stunned and in disbelief.  Unsure if my name was actually said through the feedback heavy microphone. As I sat back down, in a state of shock, the number continued to roll around in my mind, unable to garner any traction. 5 years. In five years I have moved twice and bought a house, welcomed the birth of my youngest son who is now 4, and have been doing something that I love to do, something that I have found to be my passion. Yes I can think about all of the lives I have impacted, although to what degree is questionable. I have been fortunate to have several of my students come back and visit me, which is always a joy. More importantly, teaching has changed me. (for the better I believe) It has changed me in a variety of ways. It has exposed me to so many different students that it has allowed me to understand my own teenager in a way that I could not have understood him before. His behavior on the surface appears alien to me so often, when in reality, the things he says and does is within the spectrum of teenagerdom. My patience has increased over time as I have come to the realization that so much of the extreme behaviors that I see in the classroom and in my own children has more to do with unmet needs, fear, and anxiety, than anything else; Maslow Before Blooms My understanding of my own life has increased. Hindsight is always 20/20, but having been around my students has shown me that the anxiety and stress of being a teenager is something that most if not all teenagers experience. The still growing frontal lobe (the part of the brain that is linked to good decision making) is no where near being fully formed (not until 25ish). Which means that the risky behavior that teens exhibit, on some level, can be explained by this underdevelopment. At what other time would it be more fun to push boundaries and take crazy risks? I won't go into too much detail, but I am very grateful and thankful that I survived my teenage years. And when I think about what my students past, present, and future, are going through right now, it makes my struggles seem more of an annoyance. My appreciation for my life has increased tenfold. Knowing what so many of my students suffer and go through on a daily basis has only made me value the time I have with them more and more.  It is so important to me to add as much value as I can to their lives, both in knowledge and in creating experiences with them.  For so many of them, school is an escape from the struggles they must face, alone, at home. So I want to make sure that when they are with me, they know they are safe, I have their back, and I will do what I can for them... so that they can learn to do for themselves. Which is why the most important lesson of all that I have learned in my 5 years, the lesson that has impacted me the most: Do not waste time. Time is valuable. There is no way we can put a price on the time we have with our students. We cannot recreate or capture the time we have with them, because they will never be the same once they leave our presence. Their growth is exponential and constant; it is critical that we take advantage of this time and go all in with our craft. Make them smile, make the laugh, build relationships with your kids. Every single one of your students has an amazing story to tell and a story they are in the middle of writing. As their teacher, you will forever be a part of their story, a 189 day long thread woven into the tapestry of who they are and who they will become as a person. Make sure that you bring the best version of yourself everyday; be present and be all in with them ...

A new school year is a new beginning; teaching is one of the few professions where you not only get to start a new, but you also get better the longer you practice. It is a calling that refines you through its process. This weeks podcast touches on that process; the process that went into creating the moment where you meet your students, and your students meet you.

Great teachers are not JUST found in a classroom... I am extremely excited about my interview with Jake Widmann... Author of the book (SEPT 2018) Up: Lessons of Adversity, Hitting Bottom, and Choosing A Life That Matters Some of our main topics: how he was "that kid" in our classroom... the one that drives you nuts! Jakes gives us some amazing insight into why "that kid" likes to push buttons... the ifonlys and how they are actually a form of interference, or static, that gets in the way of us seeing our true selves and how we put ourselves in the difficult positions we find ourselves... Jake defines self awareness in a way that is not only understandable, but extremely practical... what self care means and why its so important that we, who serve others, take care of ourselves... his favorite quote and how that applies to creating the teaching environment that best supports us and nurtures us! Great teachers are not JUST found in a classroom... Enjoy this awesome interview! WANT MORE JAKE? IG: sologood.co   AND    jakewidmann FB: Jake Widmann www.sologood.co  

Summer Is HERE! (for most of us anyways) While it's a great time to relax, sleep in, walk around in your pajamas all day, and go full slob... it is an opportunity for two things which we should not take lightly and we should appreciate. Opportunity To Recharge Without question; teachers need the summer off. Above our contractual obligations, we put in an enormous amount of emotional labor into our daily practice of teaching. From being able to keep a straight face when something funny yet horrible has happened in the classroom (funny burps and passing gas anyone?) to the hard conversations we have to sometimes have with our fellow teachers AND students. Without question we need to recharge ourselves because we give so much of ourselves for those 9 months. It is necessary. Opportunity To Challenge Ourselves  When you are a teacher, you are also a disruptor. A disruptor of the greatest kind because you are causing dissonance. You are responsible for purposefully causing a specific mental conflict in the minds of your students! This is what you do! You create a conflict that causes uncertainty, confusion, frustration, and utterly madness! When you teach someone 1+1 = 2 or a new skill, you are purposefully disrupting their knowledge of the world around them. And while your intentions might be good and well meaning, it doesn't stop them from being a disruption. It's very similar to building a muscle. Building a muscle does require activity! When you do a push up or lift a weight, that in itself causes you to T-E-A-R the muscle you just worked out. It's the soreness that you feel after any intense workout. But that T-E-A-R in the muscle isn't just for the sake of pain... It's an opportunity. Because of this now existing tear... you can now B-U-I-L-D muscle. That pain and that tear created an opportunity that didn't exist. It is NOW the opportunity to create and to build what did not exist before. Its when you put down the weights, when you stop running, or when you are done with you routine... that is when you are actually building muscle! The recovery phase is when your body begins to focus on rebuilding what is torn... on filling in this newly created opportunity with new growth and new muscle. This is why proper nutrition and rest is so important when starting a fitness program. Without the proper nutrition and rest, all of the work and effort put into a workout will be for nothing because you are not maximizing the opportunity you created in the workout! Rest and eating right is essential to any fitness program. Its where true growth can occur. So what does this mean for us teachers enjoying our time off? It means we need to challenge ourselves. Teaching is an exciting and forgiving profession (for most) because if you do with your heart in the right place, you not only get to come out of it stronger and more experienced... but you also become a better person because of it. But this can only happen if you challenge yourself! It means that while we tear our collective emotional and psychological muscles for the sake of our kids... We also need to do this for ourselves! So while you spend your summer in recovery mode getting your much needed break, make sure to do something for yourself, that challenges you, pushes you, creates some healthy dissonance, and helps you see the world in a new light. Start a hobby that you might have put off, work in your garden, learn to paint furniture, learn beekeeping (these are all things I like to do :), or perhaps expand your circle of relationships and start to build new ones! Whatever you decide to, do something that challenges YOU! If we want our kids, our students, to overcome the dissonance that we create for them in the classroom, then it is important that WE, the teachers, model this behavior for them. That our thoughts, language, and actions in the classroom are infused with this knowledge,

As we approach the end of the school year, as the state tests are distributed, and as we slowly wind down to the end of school, it is very easy for all of us (teachers included) to loose sight of the fact that... school isn't over!   Yet, around this time, we start to see the clues and signs that yes, the clock is winding down. The biggest clue; behavior. Around this time we begin to see complacency, apathy towards grades, and a rise in misbehavior. And life, like education, has a wide range of influences. To narrow down the list of the things that affect behavior to "one thing" means to ignore the collective influence of society (I write this on 4/20 the anniversary of the columbine massacre), age, socioeconomic trends, etc.   And what do we call the students who choose to display this type of behavior? The Cash Out Kids.   You have either seen or heard of these kids before; the kids who refuse to do anything. Who seem to have no regard for others, who become more and more rebellious as the days pass. Why? Because at some point, they have made the decision to take their losses and cash out. Let me first explain that I teach a Forensic Science course for Seniors at a STEM Magnet high school. This means that I have a wide range of students in my classroom. Which means that on a daily basis, much like you, I teach to and reach kids that are all over the bell curve in abilities. I understand that this might seem "dramatic", but the reality is that, there will be a small percentage of your population that will refuse to try. It might be more evident in at the High School level, but based on my conversations and experiences with kids and adults who interact with kids, I feel pretty confident with my statement The big question; why? Why do we have kids that refuse? And why is it that towards the end of the year, they all seem to agree to act up at the same time?   I cannot offer any data to support my next unscientific observation. What I can say for certain is that the end of the year is a difficult time for students. For those who put in the work all year long, the end of the school year is a time to reap the rewards. They have put in the time and energy required to succeed and can now relax some, coasting on their earlier efforts.   For those that are in the middle, the idea of crossing the finish line is the only thing that matters. They don't care what the official grade is so long as it is a passing grade. For the majority of our students, understanding that they have passed and can move on to the next grade is a reward. They are not so preoccupied with status as they are in making sure they are not downgraded or held back.   For the few that don't "care" enough about anything, much less their grades and their school standing, this is as good as time as any for them to decide to stop putting in effort towards their education. The "attitude" on their part is not apathy but rather a signal that something has gone wrong. The "I don't care attitude" is more than just youthful hubris; its a signal.  Without hope and without reaping the rewards (yes, passing is a reward) of others these students decide to throw caution to the wind, and cash out. They make the decision that letting go and walking away with whatever they have is in their best interest. As a teacher, nothing is more heartbreaking. So what do you do? The first thing to do is understand that when a student decides to cash out; its because he or she feels that's in his best interest. He or she sees that as being their best option. Which means that the adults in the lives have failed them. No child should feel that abandoning their education is in their best interest. What they are lacking is someone who can show them that its never too late to turn things around. Which is true! Every year on the first of the month, adults around the world make promises and resolve ...

There is no doubt that the hardest part of teaching is the emotional labor we perform, day in and day out. That is, the lifting of our students spirits, keeping a straight face when they do something bad, even though it was really really funny. Doing our best to not get visibly angry and frustrated when our students misbehave. Understanding that everyone has a bad day, and doing our best to not punish our kids for pushing our buttons, knowing full well, that we may be the only person in their life who will hold their ground, and give them a safe boundary to live in. This emotional labor will usually compliment the culture and mindset of our school and of our immediate peers. I teach at a Magnet Math, Science, and Technology high school with a population that runs very near 3,000 students. Even though we are a magnet school and we have various STEM related programs, we also teach students who are not in these programs and are taking on-level coursework. Often times I pick up clues from various teachers and students that these on-level students are not "worth their time" to invest energy in. The main reason being that these students will not go above and beyond what others expect from them. This is by no means the culture of our school. The majority of our teachers make it their priority to see every child, no matter what their background or story, as their own; and to build affirming relationships with every student. This is the meat of our profession. The relationships that we build with out students, and with each other, makes this thing we call education, flow and function. And if we are to perform emotional labor, we must be aware of our emotional fitness. For teachers, we can define emotional fitness as: The ability to understand our emotions in our classroom and engage our students with the most appropriate emotion at the moment. I want to emphasize this very important point: Emotional fitness is not a reaction. To respond to a negative situation is a reflex; which is not thoughtful and more instinctual. It is also not intuitive, nor is it evaluated thoroughly to make sure the negative situation is given the appropriate response. Reactions and reflexes work like that. However, just like a muscle, our emotional fitness must be worked out consistently. And just like a muscle, our gains and strength come from resistance. There are too many adults (teachers included) who easily dismiss children and students for a variety of reasons. Children are not always easy to understand, they do not listen, and many adults do not have the patience or the emotional fitness to understand them. The resistance to ignore and dismiss is a sign of your emotional fitness. Are you fit enough to put your own negative feelings and frustrations aside in order to help a student? Sarcasm is used quite a bit in the classroom, but deploying sarcasm effectively also requires an affirming relationship. Mainly because the safety net of knowing that a sarcastic teacher really does care about his/her students makes the sarcastic hit seem not so rough. Without really knowing the receiver or thrower of a sarcastic comment, those comments can be difficult to catch and deal with. Resistance then becomes the standard. But not a resistance TO someone else or their need, but rather a resistance to OUR OWN shortcomings and misgivings. You see, the truest test of your emotional fitness in the classroom is to continue to support the unsupportable student. To show kindness to the least kind. To not display anger to the angriest in your group. To show compassion and appropriate attention to those who would prefer to be hidden in plain sight. And to display unconditional love to those who for many, have already been deemed unlovable. My emotional fitness is why I make friends with the roughest kids in my classroom; why I place an extra emphasis on making sure that these kids get the appropriate attention and affirmation that they deserv...

Emotional labor is an invisible but powerful force that is felt but unseen to the inexperienced eye. It's why moms are so good at making you feel better without applying medicine, and why it doesn't bother you that you scraped your knee with dad, because you had such a great time (which mom cleaned and put a bandaid on, and dad just rinsed with water) More often that not, emotional labor at home and at work is done by women. That is, the labor that most men do not think about; keeping the peace at home, making sure the kids don't get upset because there's no more ice cream, calling to get multiple quotes, planning the office holiday party, baby shower, and remembering everyone's birthdays, anniversaries, food allergies, previous report card grades, resolving conflict, and why you shouldn't talk about dogs in front of your neighbor, who just lost his puppy. But when it comes to the classroom... Teachers, Coaches, Admin, Support Staff, Male and Female... We all perform Emotional Labor As a Teacher, Emotional Labor is the majority of the work we actually perform in the classroom. It's the silent lifting of spirits, when our students feel down. It is the pushing of pencils, when the little hands wrapped around them do not move. Its the exhausting last minute push, the pat on the back that you don't want to give but you can't not give, and you know you need to give, because that one child has not had enough pats, to motivate him or herself, forward. This is not to negate, or ignore, that our students, our kids, emotionally labor intensive work, because they do! However, if we are to look at our students as Emotional Labor-ers... as in, those who are ready to perform this type of work; we have a serious staffing problem. Uninspired, unmotivated, depressed, hungry, tired and afraid is what sometimes walks into our classrooms and sits down in our prearranged chairs. This happens daily, to many of our students. Not because of what happens at home or in their personal life, but because of the Labor that a teacher did NOT perform, in preparation for their students. The Emotional Labor we put into our classrooms begins before the first bell has rung; it is our motivation for teaching, our emotional and psychological fitness that we walk into with every morning. It is a fitness that we need to maintain consistently, especially when our students become emotionally "heavy". This is the framework required for student success; the one that the teacher works at, every minute, of every day. It is the smile our students see in the morning, and the smile they see when they leave our presence; the smile that seals the positive experience we shared together. It is the repetitive "lifting" of our students spirits when they seem lost and confused. Of psychologically holding their hand through a dangerous equation or a fear inducing stanza. Removing the fog of confusion as to why a word is spelled that way, and clearing the cluttered mess in the minds of those, who's past experiences have such a tight grip on their psyche, that is prevents them from moving forward. It is the understanding that instead of being another stumbling block, another barrier; you are there to serve your students; serve their mind and help them grow into the people that they wish to become. Which leads to expectations of our students. We want from our students... We see compliance and "listening" as an expectation. We want them to listen to us! We want them to comply, to remember... to give us our own form or version of a "reward" We feel that it is sometimes a reflection upon us! When in reality, their response to us is just that; their response. They are human beings, creatures with a heart and a mind and a unique soul. There is no nine month assembly line that people pop out of and are "wired" to perform or act in a specific way. If humans are not created like that, then our expectations of our students should be th...

In this 3rd part of The Conversation Series, I wrap up what I believe is the conversation we should be having right now regarding education. Recent tragedies have shed a new light upon the fact that the educational system is failing our students. We can no longer sit back and wait for lawmakers, researchers, or other stakeholders to address these issues. In Part I, I talk about the classroom itself and the new role of the classroom, in a world where information is freely available and easily accessible.  In Part II, I talk about our students and how they are facing serious life altering stressors, to which they have very little control over. No matter what the difficulty, every child should be seen as an opportunity for growth. Part III is about the Teachers. WE, The Teachers, are THE most powerful agents of change in the educational system, in the building, and in our classrooms. Yes, our calling is to help our students succeed, advance, learn, and grow. However, as the teacher in the classroom, that spends an significant amount of time with them, face to face; any improvements in their learning and growth happens through us. THIS is the hardest lesson to understand and accept because learning involves defeat. Learning is a process. Learning involves screwing up and getting things wrong. Some of the greatest lessons we will learn in our lives will come from agonizing and painful failures. As a teacher and the adult in the room, we are judge and jury to the beautiful little humans before us. Everyday we find another example in which there are no set guidelines and no manual in which we can reliably depend on. At a cost of $2.2 BILLION dollars a year in the US teachers are leaving the profession due to high stress, poor working conditions, "bad kids", poor support, low wages, etc. 40 - 50% of new teachers leave after five years. In other words; defeat. The emotional and psychological work that is performed by teachers on a daily basis is hardly talked about, much less recognized. Yet it is the most important in the classroom, and creates the most positive impact for our students. There isn't a state assessment, or an ipad, or a worksheet, or a powerpoint that will significantly impact the lives of our students. It is, and will always be, the teacher. So if teachers want less stress, better working conditions, "better kids" more support, higher wages, and not look for other work after 5 years, what needs to change isn't a system; its us. Teachers, yup, you. Don't look away, i'm talking to you! If we want this to change, we have to change. The first thing we need to change; our mindset. Everyday, I need you... Wait. Everyday, the world needs you to say or read the following: "Today I will build the emotional, psychological, and educational foundation of our society. I will learn and grow with my students and fellow teachers and create the human infrastructure in which we all live and thrive in." Everyday. Everyday, I need you to believe this. Not because its BS, but because its true. And if you don't walk into your classroom, and own it, no one else will. You are important You are valuable You are needed You are critical to the success of our society and our species. And if you walk into your classroom, everyday, and believe this with all of your heart and mind, your language and actions will follow And when your thoughts, language, and actions are congruent (as in, they are in line with each other) You are unstoppable. You are a force to be reckoned with. And when your fellow teachers are all congruent with each other, and your building is congruent with each other, and our society is congruent with each other... that's a tidal wave of change. The hardest lesson to learn and accept is the one we need the most. Recite this mantra, believe it, and watch the magic of the human sprit contaminate your students,

In part two of the conversation, we discuss our students and take a macroscopic snapshot of where they are and what they are going through. They are facing different pressures than before, and because of that, our students have different needs There is no sense in trying to judge the merits of these needs; it is more important to identify, adjust, and meet their needs as much as we can At the end of the day, it is most important that we see each child, every student, as an opportunity. An opportunity for growth.      

The role of the classroom, and school, has changed dramatically in our society. What is the NEW role of the classroom, and the school, in our NEW reality, and in the future? Before information was so freely accessible, the school house was one of the very few places one could have access to information (someone had to teach you to read before you could access the knowledge in books!). Information was power; and access to information was limited. Those days are gone. With the swipe of a finger, our students have access to every single piece of information that we teach in the classroom. The knowledge we wish to share with them is free and accessible. The school and the classroom as places of learning are irrelevant. Those days are over. Safety is of the utmost importance when it comes to students. And the political debate over what constitutes safety continues... But has anyone cared to ask what makes our students safe? What does a "safe" school mean for them? A safe school, for them, means that they are receiving messages of AGENCY, SAFETY, AND CARE AGENCY - "I WILL DO"  When your students feel supported, they can achieve anything. SAFETY - "I CAN DO" This isn't just shutting the door and armored guards. Do our students feel safe to be themselves? Do our students feel safe to raise their hands in class? CARE - "I CAN DO AND WILL DO FOR MYSELF" Do our students feel loved? Do they feel cared for and looked after? Every child deserves to be loved. THIS is the NEW role of the classroom, of school as a system. School no longer is a place of learning, it is now a place of GROWING. A place where teachers and administrators focus on the person FIRST and all of the students receive messages of AGENCY, SAFETY, AND CARE. Our schools are more important than ever, and their importance will continue to rise. WE must ensure that our students are loved, supported, and feel safe to be the best version of themselves that they can be. 50 million children go through the public education system every year; students of diverse backgrounds who come together to grow. When our children grow together and are supported and loved; we all win. The education system is a place where the emotional and psychological infrastructure of our society is built. Let's grow.  

This is Random Acts of Kindness Week! I hope you take it upon yourself to be kind to yourself FIRST... But also to be kind to your fellow TEACHERS! And most important, showing and modeling kindness towards and for your STUDENTS!   It is the most important lesson you could ever TEACH!

There was a picture I recently saw showing a real life cowboy The Manliest of Men His physical exterior (I would imagine) matched his mental and emotional interior No doubt that man was a man or resilience and strength. We want our kids to be resilient, to be tough, to be “tough enough” We feel that our experiences made us who we are today, the trials and tribulations, so if our kids go through those same trials and tribulations, then they will build the resilience and inner strength that we want for them and that we wish (and think) we have for ourselves But the world has changed The mental and emotional strength that was required came, to a degree, comes from the physical demands of their lifestyles. They developed their inner strength through hard physical work And those days are gone The majority of society does not participate in the physical labor that was once required.  However the mental toughness and the emotional inner strength that was needed to live a physically demanding lifestyle is still needed. So how can we help our youth? How can we help build up a generation of children, who have the mental stamina and emotional inner strength to battle the harsh reality of the world? Through kindness and acceptance. We, the adults, must model the inner strength that we want our children to have WE, the adults, must show the capacity that we have, to absorb the slings and arrows that the youth of today has do deal with, whether its pressures on social media, deal with anxiety and stress. WE must show them, and model for them, that whatever they throw our way, we can take. And by accepting them, faults and all, we show them kindness   That kindness is the nourishing ground from which courage comes from   And when our students and our children find adults who model kindness, and who makes them feel accepted, that protects them from the anxiety, the fear, the depression, the constant thoughts, the emotional and mental thunderstorms that comes down on them. Whether it was self imposed or not. Just like the cowboys of days gone past, who endured all kinds of conditions and environments, to make sure they got their jobs done. So should we, the adults, make sure that not matter what kind of storm our kids bring down upon us, we must model the inner strength to persevere and to thrive, and to rise above. Because your kids, your students, are always watching you. And they are learning if you accept them, if you validate them, and if you have the inner strength that they are seeking for themselves.   They are looking for the hero within themselves, through your eyes... and the safe heaven to find themselves

Courage Through Kindness How many of us have encountered a student who has been "given" so many chances, that at some point you decide in your mind and in your heart that you have done enough... So you quit on that student. I have encountered these students... one in particular. And as I stood at that precipice, looking down at this student because "here we are again"; where others would walk away, I did not quit. I pressed on. In pressing on, I showed my student that I would not give up on him, and that I cared about him. In pressing on, I modeled for my student the perseverance that I wished he would have, to stop his self-defeating behavior. Turns out; he had more perseverance and grit than I imagined. He didn't know it and others didn't care to uncover it. A big question today is; how do we make our kids "tougher" and develop and grow kids with "Grit" in order to survive the world? When the REAL question we should be asking ourselves is; how can adults be less mean, less aggressive, and less crappy? The secret to raising "tough" kids? The hidden key to raising a generation of resilient children? The cryptic code to unlocking GRIT in our kids? Kindness When you provide the emotional and psychological nourishment that your students needs, through kindness... Courage begins to develop within our students. The courage to face fears, anxieties, real world problems, and themselves. When their inner courage begins to shine through, and you see them through kind eyes, you will begin to understand who they are. Who they are is a conglomeration of different experiences; losses and wins. Not your wins Theirs Kindness is a filter, which when used, allows you to see the truth about someone. When you apply kindness... you can see their wins And A Win, Is A Win JC .

When you travel to a new place, it always “feels” as if your voyage, your travel, takes a very long time.  Why? Since you are traveling to a new destination, one that you have never been before, you are observing everything around you. Your senses are hightened, and because of your awareness of this new place, your brain is trying to retain as much information as possible. Your brain is now working overtime; it is absorbing massive amounts of new information This new information has to be reorganized in a way that makes sense to us, and this takes time So our feeling, our PERCEPTION of time is thrown off, not because time has changed, but because of our EXPERIENCE of our new surroundings causes our brains to process new information SLOWER… which causes us to experience our newness in a SLOWER, more detailed, way. This is why when you travel to a new destination, it feels like it is taking LONGER This is why you remember so much about the first time you met someone of significance and importance to you This is why accidents and traumatic events leave such vivid memories; because your sense and your brain are ACTIVELY recording and retaining as much information as possible.   And this is also why, the return drive or flight home seems so quick; because your brain remembers everything going back. It doesn’t spend as much time trying to observe because it has already seen, so in order to be more efficient, it ignores or allows the familiar to not be retained This is why, people whom you see on a regular basis, you might tend to overlook. But what does this mean for the classroom   It means that learning, is an organic experience.   It means that learning, happens.   It is a part of being a human being, it is part of the human experience. We are wired to learn, to observe, or retain information, to process our surroundings and to process new experiences fully.   So is learning truly is an organic experience; then why do so many of our students have so many problems learning? Why is it that you have to repeat yourself sometimes over and over again, or why is it that some subjects seem completley out of reach.   Barring medical conditions, or a diagnosis that specifically states that one of your students will have some difficulty, if the learning is not happening, it is because the conditions, the ENVIRONMENT is not condusive towards allowing the learning to happen.   What could affect this learning environment?   Biology: maslow hierarcy, safety, food, shelter, love External forces: societal pressures (peer pressure, friends) and parental stressors.   As the teacher in the classroom, it is up to us to create an environemnt in which the organic learning experience HAPPENS as it should.   If we believe that learnign happens naturally, organically, then that means that we need to provide the appropriate conditions for this natrual even to happen.   In our classrooms we need to provide: Agency, Safety, Care agency “I will do…” safety “I can do…” care “I can and will do for myself” This comes from an emotionally and psychologically supportive teacher This is not BS; but rather engrained and deeply rooted in collaborating with your students. And if very effective “I can and will do for myself and others…” If YOU can create this environment through KINDNESS... then your students will develop the courage to be the best version of themselves... because someone important in their lives, gave them a gift of a special and sacred place, where they could be the best version of themselves. Courage Through Kindness

I was able to connect with my students in a way that was outside of what was norm I was able to educate them on something that may not have been the normal topic, but it added value to their lives. They saw it as valuable, and because of that, we had a very engaging conversation where they were asking good questions, and they were learning I was able to develop trust. And if they were trusting me in this particular area, then they would trust me in other areas, like chemistry. What we were actually doing was having fun and playing with a concept! It was learning, maybe not what was prescribed for that particular day, but It was learning none the less. Learning is organic; it happens because human being are constantly learning about the world around them, and we are inquisitive creatures. Sometimes, it’s nice to go off on tangents, to follow a path that has not been traveled before in your classroom   Make time for these mental adventures; you will learn a lot about yourself, but also about your students.   Keep it professional Keep it as topic related as possible Try to tie it into things they are already learning or have learned in your classroom.   These tangents reinvigorate your classroom. And more importantly, they allow your students to gain trust. If they trust you on a tangent, they will trust you in your classroom. :)

Probably the shortest podcast ever! An affirmation for 2018 specially made for you! Wishing you the absolute best! Juan

A Sense of Gratitude - Episode 019 the year winds or has wound down for some of you, it’s important that we reflect back on the year, but at the same time as most of us are wrapping up our semester and wrapping up everything we have accomplished, it’s important that we have sense of gratitude: What is gratitude? Google definition - the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. "she expressed her gratitude to the committee for their support" So I wanted to read a quote that truly sums up a perspective that helps put the school year into perspective Let’s Unpack the quote: Gratitude makes sense of our past - When you look at your past with a sense of gratitude, it helps you understand that you made it! All those times when you didn’t think you would make it, well you did! - First year teaching, you made it! - Hindsight is 20/20, so everything that makes us who we are, The good and the bad, is wrapped up in our past. We should be grateful for that because it is us Brings peace for today - We should find comfort in who we are. - Again, there are several times through the day when, in the hectic nature to the day, we forget about the fact that we did it! We survived! We made it and no matter where we find ourselves, we should have some peace, because no matter how bad it was, we survived things that we didn’t think we would Creates a vision for tomorrow - Self awareness is critical to our future - Self awareness is a accepting the mud of past, today, for a clearer tomorrow - It is imperative that we understand who we are today, in order for us to be able to plan and visualize our future - It’s difficult for us to plan for our future, without having a firm grip on our present, and a clear understanding of our future Why is this so important for a teacher? - We are modeling behavior that we want our kids who see and underatnd - The more we understand ourselves, the clearer we are about our intentions - And the clearer we are about our actions, the more precise we preform - And we model this behavior, our students pick up on this, and they then can be successful We need to be the kind do person/students we want to see in the classroom As the adult in the room, it is important that we inspire our students to be the best that they can be… with gratitude. We have the opportunity to turn a child’s life around, to truly make a difference in the world of some of our kids, let’s be grateful for this opportunity…. For the opportunity to bring hope to our students, by being the kind of people they aspire to be And make sure that every day Every lesson... Every student... You seal it up with a smile :)

Who you are makes your kids feel bad (and you don’t even know it) - Episode 018 Talking to a teacher who was having a problem with her students. Had an opportunity to observe the classroom and immediately felt and saw the high levels of stress and anxiety in the room (you could feel it). After my initial observations we had a very productive talk, and this is what we talked about... Your students are different than you. - You look different to them - Many of them come from different socioeconomic environments - Or they can think they are better than you - They have difficulty understanding long term thinking - We need to take into account their background because they are still creating a map of the world - Have to take into account biology and neural development - Kids want to look up to you - They want you to be successful - They want you to be all knowing - Because that makes them feel safe - That helps them feel taken cared of - When so many of them are not So when they see you, in an environment full of messages (society, advertising, social media) created in order for you to feel bad... it automatically makes them feel bad - Because your too smart (in comparison) - Too successful (for many) - To good looking (for some)  The dissonance between who you are and them is starling Why is it so overwhelming? Because their reality is their emotions - Their emotions are more real to them than anything else - How they feel is a greater influence over their behavior than anything or anyone else - Which is why we need to be the best part of their day We need to Smile - We need to help them feel good - We need to help them feel better about themselves - We need to help them feel good about the person they are BECOMING. And support them on their journey - They are not done growing and learning! - We need to engage them on an emotional level - Because that’s where they are; emotional and governed by their emotions - And once we can connect with them on an emotional level, understand their world view, then our lines of communication are established - Then we see eye to eye - THEN, we can mode forward and pass along information that will benefit them - Pass along information that will make their lives better, pass along information that will help them think, be better informed, and be better as a citizenX as a husband a father and as a mother - Help them become better human beingsWhen it’s all said and done You are going to be a story in their minds and I their hearts; a story that they will play over and over again for the rest of their lives You WILL be their only 1st grade, 2nd grade, high school English and math teacher And the way you made them FEEL will be your lasting legacy, that they will carryNot one of your student will give a $$$$ about your power point presentationThere is not a single student in your classroom that will ever remember how well your graphed were, no matter how long you took to do itThe void, the dissonance that exists between you and your students is real; fill it with kindness Fill it with understanding and love Fill it with patience Fill it with your heart, which you give to each of your students... because you can, and because you have it to giveYou are the adult; you are automatically at an advantage over them. Do not abuse your power And if you don’t have it to give, you will need to do some soul searching as to why... and do something about it... because we need self aware humans in the classroom, to fill that void with understanding and patience l, so that the next generation can grow up even more self aware, and continue this momentum forward Every day Every lesson Every student... sealed with your smile :)

Why I Need To Smile - Episode 017 It has occurred to me that I must explain my own personal WHY as to WHY it is important for ME to Seal It With A Smile. Its important because this was not the norm for me growing up. My father always carried a sullen angry face around... it was his default face. In fact, there are only a handful of times that I can remember when I saw him smile, or I heard him laugh. And when I come home, after a day of giving all of myself to my students and my classroom, needless to say I feel completely spent. I have a tendency of expecting warm hugs and smiles greeeting me at my door, but that is not the case. When it comes to a family; there’s usually a fire that needs to be out out, somewhere... And that fire usually occurs the second I walk into  the door... with my angry face

The Giraffes In Your Classroom - Episode 016 My wife and I were having a conservation. I’m sure your familiar with this one; the one where you both feel like you are not being heard and you both are not listening to each other. Solution: See your other half as a Giraffe. Do you know a giraffe? Ever own one? Spent a significant amount of time with one? Chances are the answer is no. Or not really. Which means that, chances are, you will show a strange and unfamiliar creature more respect when you stand back in awe of its magnificence, and enjoy what it could be capable of doing. Because you are too unfamiliar with it’s potential. Thats what you have in your classroom; beautiful magnificent Giraffes. Giraffes that are full of potential, full of promise, and can only be seen in the environment and in the moment that you observe them in. You are not seeing their full potential. Which means imposing your “ideas” on them is counterintuitive to what we should be doing. If your thoughts, language, and actions do not add value to your students of your classroom OR you do not gain any value... then it’s not worth doing. Period. there is no such thing as a C student; only a C mentality and fueled by adults. Adults are the biggest threat to childhood. ACTIONABLE STRATEGY See your students as Giraffes; enjoy them, have fun, and marvel at the for the unique creatures that they are at THIS moment in time. Add value to the time you have together, show them the kindness that they need and deserve, so they have the courage, to BECOME who they are meant to me... not who we limit them to become... and make sure every lesson, every interaction, every relationship... is sealed with your smile

(UPDATED) The Humble Thread In The Cape - Episode 015 During this week of Thanksgiving, most of us will be resting and relaxing and hopefully enjoying some time off with family, friends, our animal friends, and loved ones. During this time of reflection, we can also reflect on our lives and find humility within us. But how can we do that? How can we be humble? Being humble comes from understanding your power; your ability to destroy, to harm, to cause injury and pain, to cause a sense of defeat and humiliation, to cause shame and embarrassment. This quote from Haim Ginott speaks to the power we have in the classroom. The difference between a super hero and a super villain comes down to a choice. Both are almost equal in size, strength, and power. It is the choices they make on a daily basis, how they use their unique abilities, that makes them heroic and supermodels of behavior and moral authorities. When you understand the power you have on a daily basis to hurt and to cause pain... and you choose to do good.. then you will develop humility and the ability to be humble. Be humble, be a servant, know your strengths; be the hero of your own story. When you look into your students eyes, they see themselves though your eyes, and they see that so much is possible and that they are capable of so much. If they see you as the hero in your own life, they will search through your eyes, the hero within themselves. At the end of the day, at the end of the school year, each of us leaves behind a legacy. You will forever be their first grade, second grade, science, history, English or math teacher. You will forever be their coach or band director.  You will leave an emotional fingerprint surrounding their experience in your class and in your specific content area, forever. So my question to you is; what is your legacy going to be? What is your story going to be because when it’s all over that’s what you will be: threads in their cape. Your lasting emotional legacy will forever be apart of the threads of their cape. Each one of us deserves to be the hero of our own story.  Will the threads you weave into their cape them help them soar or hold them back?

Clear your mind.... I want to take you back about 60 or so years, back to the early 1950’s in rural West Texas. Take you to a warm hot day in August; dry mountain air in a small one horse town. Exactly the kind of town you would imagine when you think of a one horse town in your mind. These types of towns continue to exist, they are full of tight knit communities where people know each other not on superficial level, but because they live life together. Most of these rural agricultural towns are at the mercy of weather patterns, supply and demand from large cities which to many seem foreign and threatening. Their shared experiences, both high and low, contribute to a combined and agreed upon awareness and understanding that defines their world view. Now imagine in our one horse town there existed a middle school, attended by the boys and girls of the town, who are all growing up together, all have the same familiar chores, and responsibilities at home. It would be entirely possible that the teachers in this particular school would be some of, if not the only, college educated people in this small community. Many of the children in the school are attending at a cost. In the case of middle school children, they are at an age where they are mentally able to grasp responsibility and the importance of hard work. Not only that, but the cost of attending he school, will at some point be recouped by the education and knowledge that they are gaining at the school. In essence, it’s a trade off that many rural parents are hoping will pay off for them, when their children return to the farm, and continue in its operation, maybe even bringing their newly acquired knowledge in implementing it to make the farm more efficient and profitable. And what if you found a love for numbers. What if you found a love for numbers, and calculating. What if you would help your mother in her country kitchen by making sure her measurements were accurate and were more mesmerized by the measuring cups than the texture of the batter. What if you had a secret desire, hidden in your Heart, growing with your experience, to escape your rural confines; not in an effort to run away, but towards the coziness of a university campus, where bright educated minds can finally answer questions about life and the universe that you are too afraid to ask. Not because of some fear of rejection, but because you know that your physical geography limits your access to these special intellectual people. People who you know in your heart you would get along with, and could spend hours and hours listening to, because their thoughts would be so fascinating and amazing. And so you dream of knowing these answers, dream of finding yourself in a place that’s mentally stimulating and can offer you the answers to the questions that you wish you had. Your access to this information is due to forces out of your control, so what you end up doing is settling in your mind for the information you have access to at your school. Understanding that at some point you might be able to arrive at a university, having confidence in your abilities and in your developing skills. And on the first day of school, as a middle schooler, you enter your Algebra class eager to learn, ready to grow, understanding that your mind will be challenged and your want to learn will be fulfilled. You sit nervously in your chair, not only because it’s the first time you will meet your teacher but your also nervously anxious about seeing your friends, about any new kids that might have shown up, which in a very small town is a very big deal. So your anxious, your nervous, your excited…. Truly eager to learn because you feel that your old enough to get to the “real” education you’ve been waiting for. No more kid stuff.. your older, your wiser, and your ready. Your ready to learn and to grow. Your teacher, a male, walks into your classroom. He looks knowledgeable. He looks and sounds wise and serious.

This week we have a special guest, Jenn “The-Teacher-Next-Door”! Jenn is an accomplished teacher with over 20 years of experience and is the owner of the Teacher-Next-Door.com and online store at Teachers-Pay-Teachers. Her passion for helping others has made her successful both in and out of the classroom! We talk about her “soap-box”issue, her take on classroom management (why she doesn’t have any issues) and some surprising activities she has taken on! In speaking with Jenn I learned so much about the impact of kindness and affirming relationships in the classroom, and so much more. Enjoy! And Remember... BE KIND... so your students have the space to be courageous! And make sure every lesson, ever interaction, everything you do, is sealed with your smile

EPISODE 12 - Are YOU Listening? Spent the weekend at a pumpkin patch watching kids taking pictures and parents taking pictures of kids.  This must have some effect on their developmental growth; seeing themselves that often. If anything , it adds to the idea that we all learn in an environment of relationships! And since *** LEARNING IS ORGANIC (constantly happening)***our students are constantly learning about themselves through social media, the internet, and the things and people they encounter in their lives. FACT: Our students lives are more connected than ever requiring an emotional skill set never before needed that must also be nurtured and guided. Sooooo….. - So when a teacher has a hands off approach… - When a teacher does not form a connection with their students… - When the educational system is more concerned with testing and compliance than with social/emotional growth (which goes hand in hand with learning) We loose that connection with out students As a result... - Students become misguided as to what school can be - Students passions become extinguished and eliminated because their inner fuel becomes less The question is therefore, “Are WE connecting with our students?” Are WE LISTENING? More to the point; What should we be listening to? ISSUES (two things) 1) biological issues -  hunger, thirst, health issues, sleep deprivation - give them food, let them sleep 2) emotional issues - sadness, depression AND excitement, passion, exhilaration - modify lessons to cater to these kids, appeal to their interests - amplify their positive emotional states - we may not be able to resolve their issues, but the least we can do is acknowledge, their state, affirm their existence, their being, and do our best to make it a positive…. Let them know that maybe we can fix that issue, but they can at least compete the work, answer the problem, etc… and that’s something they can do - Sometimes giving them something constructive to do is important LISTEN FOR OPPORTUNITY 3) reinforcement - there will ALWAYS be opportunities for reinforcement… NECESSARY AT THE BEGINNING OF ANY RELATIONSHIP -  they will sometimes reinforce on their own - consistency 4) praise - look for opportunities for praise - that’s the best way you can ensure a behavior will be repeated - Brain is all about reward system, new synapses are constantly growing, give them an emotional reward - call students by name, high five, a pat on the back, hugs - are you excited? Scream Yes! - group claps - students will copy this model behavior and create a self sustaining classroom... POSITIVE PEER PRESSURE - you are the ULTIMATE SUPERMODEL... strut! 5) growth - kids should be growing, - acknowledge growth, improvement, betterment, opportunities - every challenge is an opportunity for growth - no busy work, opportunities for growth Underlying all of this is kindness - If you give kids kindness... you create a sacred space where they can develop courage... which helps them face their fears and overcome obstacles - in the classroom and personally BE KIND... so your students have the space to be courageous! And make sure every lesson, ever interaction, everything you do, is sealed with your smile

I was recently asked to be interviewed by former student. The question was, “What do you do when you have a disruptive classroom?” My answer, “I’ve never had a disruptive classroom. I will never have a disruptive classroom.” And it caught my student off guard. So she asked why... There are a few caveats you must be willing to accept: *** LEARNING IS ORGANIC***  (its natural, and it’s consistently happening) 1) Each individual child comes to your classroom with an idea of what’s is and isn’t acceptable 2) This behavior works for them 3) If it doesn’t work for you, you must show them appropriate behavior 4) They are not wrong, they are not faulty, kids do not need to be “fixed” 5) They are living a part of their lives where they are going through tremendous growth 6) Our job is to be SUPERMODELS of behavior, language, and mindset 7) How we want our children to behave is how we should behave What’s the mindset? acceptance and kindness. YOU project your thoughts, whether you believe it or not… PROOF! What does your mom or dad think about you? Their opinions of you come through like a hot knife in butter… cuts you through your Core. It’s difficult and painful to think about. But the opinions of others matter to us. The distance (or closeness) we have is directly related to the impact we can have. THE THREE BOWLS OF INFLUENCE PORRIDGE Parents and siblings are EXTREMELY close; in fact, too close in some cases, for us to listen to (too hot!) Strangers are too far away, but we do get clues from society, which is like Strangers X 1000, so it is impactful, but can be ignored (too cold!) TEACHERS are at a perfect distance…. We are far away enough from our students for our impact to influential and for our students to hear us and receive our message… while at the same time, be close enough to make a significant impact and change… to truly influence their lives… (just right :) SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?!! Have the mind set that your students will learn more about appropriate behavior from who YOU are, than what you say… A) SEE and THINK about your students as people who have potential and have the ability for success B) SPEAK to that C) ACT to that You will never have a disruptive classroom because you will no longer see disruption in your classroom, you will only see opportunity and success… BE KIND, so your students have the sacred space to be courageous! Continute to learn... and your students will learn (the best MODEL to provide for your students) Last but not least; Make sure every lesson... Every interaction... Everything  you do... Is sealed with your smile! :)  

Towards the end of my first year of teaching, I had arrived at a level of tired understood only by other teachers. During these weeks, when the attention span of every child is as long as their interest in completing work, I was having a very difficult time. The only thing I could do was smile. And laugh and smile. When I saw the reaction from my students, I realized just how impactful my smiling was. The last study I can find regarding smiling was in 1955! In his AMAZING TED talk, Rob Gutman talks about the hidden power of smiling and how it really is a superpower. I urge you to watch this! Smiling is the most universal and powerful method of human communication. Why? Because that's just the way we're wired. Smiling is contagious and human! In summary: o Smiling is an actionable technique. You can use it anytime! o It can reframe a situation towards a positive direction o “Seals”positive behavior o Affirms the experiences of your students o A humanistic way to acknowledge your students o The most human of interactions o Something kids do normally; a way to communicate with them that they can understand  

In all my years of teaching, there have been days where I have struggled getting through a class period. It is heartbreaking. Not only that, it leaves you feeling less than and like there is no hope for you. It makes you question your sanity, your profession, your livelihood. These moments are the reason why so many teachers leave the profession. At a cost of $2.2 BILLION dollars a year, teacher attrition is a serious issue that affects every school district. Worse of all is the overwheling feeling that you can't leave because of the KIDS! In your heart you know that it will be the KIDS that will feel it the most and who you will let down. Underneath it all, you KNOW that they need you.   You understand that they need you, so you go to bed, thinking that tomorrow will be a better day. Tomorrow wont be so horrible. Tomorrow you won't feel so alone. Tomorrow you won't feel like your administration thinks your an idiot or incompetent.   What is the undercurrent in education that causes so many issues - FEAR   Your own fear... limits you and prevents you from trying new things. Your afraid of rejection, of the unknown, and (in some cases) of the STUDENTS themselves!   Administration is afraid of what you are doing. They are afraid of you not meeting expectations and of your inability to comply. They are afraid of rogue teachers, of lawsuits, and of backlash. Admin (in some cases) won't let you unleash your creative potential because of fear.   Students walk into the building full of fear! Fearful of the classroom because certain subjects are overwhelming and frustrating. Afraid of bullying, not fitting in, acceptance, and your normal childhood / adolescent fears.   Parents fear schools because of news reports full of allegations and school violence. They are reluctant to drop off their children and (as good responsible parents should).   Society and the media perpetuate a narravite about education as a blackhole from which we cannot recover from.   One of the FIRST steps to fix this dilemma is to speak about and identify the fear before we can replace it. Once we acknowledge the fear we can see it clearer and we can deal with it.   Once you acknowledge the fear, there are two things you can do to combat this fear, making sure your language, actions, and thoughts are aligned. This will make your efforts more impactful and productive   1) Treat the classroom like a sacred space. A holy, special, and safe space. Protect your classroom as much as you can. Insulate it from toxic thinking, language and actions. You can do this by making sure you classroom is full of communication.   2) What should you be communictating? Kindness. If you communicate kindness, you remove the fear that festers in your classroom. Kindness removes fear and can give your students a sturdy framework from which to learn from. It will give them a sense of security and safety. Kindness develops trust in you as a leader and as a caregiver. It alleviates stress. It allows your students to find the courage you need them to have to learn. Courageous students will learn, grow, and prosper.   Develop courage through kindness... and seal every lesson, every class period, every interaction... with your smile :)

"Why Am I Learning This?" It’s an all too common question asked in the classroom. When will I ever use _____ BLANK? I’m not going to be a _____BLANK, why should I learn this? I’m not going to college, so I don’t need this. It is a teacher’s kryptonite to hear these words as it deflates your ambitions and drive. Some of the biggest rewards as a teacher is to watch them struggle and then understand a difficult concept! It is the goal of every teacher (hopefully) to be able to help them learn and grow as human beings. To be able to help my students understand the world and guide them as they form their unique perspective is a privilege. When you get excited about the topic, you hope that your students become just as excited. So when your students show a lack of interest, it makes you question yourself and creates self doubt on why exactly you are teaching what you are teaching. Do NOT get angry. Screaming, displays of anger or crying accomplishes nothing for my students and does even less for myself. As the adult in the room, it is important that I model the behavior I expect from my students. If you get angry, yell, scream, or act in any such ways, expect that same behavior from them. Set the bar high for yourself and your students; stay calm, cool, collected and in control of yourself Ask them why. It is very easy to dismiss this question and many others like this, because it might come off as disrespectful or even rude. We cannot forget that they are children; children who are learning about the world through their relationship with you. Building a functioning relationship with your students is key to their learning process, so do not take this question personally. Instead, this is an opportunity to ask them why the feel that way? What are their plans? What do they see themselves doing in the future? It is an opportunity for engagement, so engage! The BEST response is the following: "I am not in the business of teaching knowledge, we are building brains and I am helping you create different ways for you to see the world and to think. The more you learn, the more your brain grows. And the more you learn about different things, the better you will be at handling different types of situations in the future. I am helping you build a brain that will handle every type of situation possible.  So what kind of brain do you want to build today?" Emotional labor is one of the reasons that teaching is difficult. Yet at the same time, it can be the best part of teaching, because as your students grow, so does your fulfillment. The better you are at handling the emotional labor, the stronger your relationships with your students, the more success you will see in you classroom. AND... the more rewarding your teaching experience will be. And don't forget to... Seal It With A Smile :)